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CAS PUBLIC

When she founded CAS PUBLIC in 1989, Hélène Blackburn was already a leader among the new generation of contemporary dance artists. Thus, while CAS PUBLIC is the immediate result of sustained efforts on the part of its founder, the company, above all, is meant to be nerve centre for artists gravitating around a common research process in contemporary dance. The company name itself reflects the choreographer's deeply-held convictions regarding collective work and the artist's role in society: Rather than choose an eponymous name, Hélène Blackburn sought to distance herself from the myth of the omniscient choreographer.

By favouring choreographic research based on the renewal of contemporary dance approaches, CAS PUBLIC succeeded in positioning itself among the companies that enjoy an international reputation. Yet it remained firmly rooted in Quebec's cultural reality by increasing its efforts to initiate the public to contemporary dance, to promote it and contribute to its development. To achieve this, CAS PUBLIC took up a new challenge and turned its attention to shows for young audiences. Its first creation, If You Go Down to the Woods Today (2001), has already topped the 300 performance mark, while Bluebeard, the second opus for young audiences, has toured the world, with performances at international festivals and in renowned venues from Chicoutimi to Madrid. And with an invitation to perform Bluebeard at the Opéra de Paris in December 2006, the company is poised to close out the year on a high note. This is a major breakthrough on a new touring circuit and constitutes CAS PUBLIC's most important tour to date on European soil. In February 2006, CAS PUBLIC presented its fifteenth choreography, Journal intime, co-produced by the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

CAS PUBLIC is now in its 19th year of existence, and each of the creations that have marked its development attest to the pursuit of excellence and the renewal of gestural codes. Recognized for its fiery and high-performance dance, CAS PUBLIC has secured its reputation with works of exceptional quality and a sustained presence on national and international stages.